Kora called on to explain delay in IDGs

NATIONAL Planning and Monitoring secretary and EIC chairman Dr Peter Kora has been called on to explain the delay in releasing and paying infrastructure development grants (IDG) relating to the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.
After arriving in Port Moresby from Southern Highlands yesterday, Komo local level government president Thomas Potape claimed Kora had promised to make the IDG and high impact project payments in the first week of this month.
“This is the third week and my councillors and their people are getting impatient.
“They have made it clear to me that very soon they will put on their neckties and move onto the LNG project sites, especially in Hides and Komo where all the activities are taking place at the moment,” Potape said.
“We are concerned because the general election is not far away, and anything can happen to the K240 million already sitting in an account waiting to be paid to the landowners.
“We are concerned because we do not want the same thing to happen like it did in the last K170 million that was paid out.”
He claimed the K170 million was paid to selected groups and individuals who had nothing, or very little, to do with the LNG project.
“The facility and airport landowners, those from the condensation plant area, Hides PDL1 and PDL7 and Komo LLG did not see any of that money.
“This must not happen again.”
Potape said it was vital that another K120 million was sought to fully compensate the landowners whose commitments stand at about K360 million.
“The K240 million now available is not enough to settle all the commitments. Kora and his people need to find another K120 million elsewhere to fully settle the state’s outstanding commitments,” he said.